


Cooking to Impress

by Starshaker



Series: 30 days of Techienician [11]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Affection, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bad Cooking, Cooking, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Food, Kissing, M/M, Matt The Food Technician Backstory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-11
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-08-14 10:19:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8009854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starshaker/pseuds/Starshaker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>30 days of Techienician <br/>Day 11: Cooking</p>
<p>“Uh. The steaks look like they’re done,” Techie waved towards the pan</p>
<p>“They’re okay, They can sit there for another few,- oh crap,” Matt grabbed the tongs and lifted both steaks onto a side plate. “I hope you like them well done,”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cooking to Impress

“Hey Ms Mallory!” Matt shouted as Techie followed him inside Matt’s building.

“Mathew, I’m blind not deaf,” Techie hesitated to step forward but Matt’s arm around him was unmoving. The woman sniffed the air and turned to face him, “And who’s with you?”

“This is my boyfriend Clan Techie,” Matt said, “Incredibly hot boyfriend,”

“Step up boy,” The woman waved a hand towards him and Techie took a tentative step forwards, unsure whether he should offer his hand to shake or not. 

“Um, nice to meet you Mrs Mallory,”

“Ms boy, _Ms_ Mallory,” She said and she grabbed his hand straight out from his side, “Firm handshake at least,” She said and sniffed and looked towards Matt, “Feed him well,” She told him and wagged her finger in Matt’s direction, “Sounds like he could use a good steak in him,”

“I’m a food tech Ms Mallory, Steaks are expensive, for special occasions and stuff,”

“What’s more special than a hot boyfriend?”

“A hot husband,” Matt said all the time his eyes flicking between Ms Mallory and Techie. 

“You get _them_ by feeding them a good steak, and often,” Ms Mallory stated.

“How would _you_ know? You never married,” Matt said. 

“I know what works and how to avoid them,” Ms Mallory said and she reached into her pocket and pulled out a half crumpled packet of cigarettes, “Dirty needy things are husbands, always having to pick up after them and boost their over inflated egos,”

“Thanks for the advice Ms Mallory,” Matt said as he rolled his eyes and grabbed Techie’s hand to pull him towards the stairs.

“And no sex noises or i’ll up your rent!” She shouted after them

 

“She’s the only family i’ve got,” Matt said quietly as the reached the first floor landing, “She’s not really family but she brought me up when Mum died,” Techie squeezed Matt’s hand and Matt smiled in return, “She used to tell me she’d chased off social services with a frying pan instead of making me move home again. She owned the building when me and mum lived here,” Matt explained as he nodded for Techie to turn at the next corridor, “She hasn’t always been blind but even now she never misses anything. I’ve told her she should audition to play darth vader in a biography film. She’s got the heavy breathing down, forty a day for half a century’ll do that to you,” Matt said as they reached the door adorned with a large silver 8B. Matt pulled out his keys and unlocked the door and then paused and shot a wary glance back at Techie, “Please don’t judge the mess,”

“I didn’t come here to judge you on a few things left lying around,” Tecchie said and Matt pressed a kiss to his cheek and then sheepishly opened the door. 

Techie followed him inside and was stunned. How could he have ever let Matt into his own tiny flat when he was used to something where the hallway was the same size as his entire flat, let alone the living room and whatever the corridors led to at either end of the room.

“Kitchen is over to your left, bedrooms are down there and bathroom is the first door on your left,” Matt said as he stood beside Techie whilst keeping a clear gap between them, “What do you think?”

“It’s big,” Techie said, his voice little above a whisper.

“Do you need a minute?” Matt asked. 

“Please, “ Techie said and nodded shallowly. When he glanced up at Mattie he was grateful that Matt’s look of wary concern was falling away. 

“I’ll just grab a drink, you want anything?”

“Just water, please,” Techie said as Matt stepped away.

“Find me when you’re ready,” Matt said, “Feel free to look everywhere,”

The door swung shut behind Matt and Techie looked around the room, his eyes landing on nothing in particular. The sofa was skewed to one side where Techie Guess Matt dropped onto it each day to watch Tv; knocking it a little more each time as he did. 

He stepped over the TV remote that was lying on the floor and crossed over to the short bookcase that sat beneath the one of two double windows in the living space. The books were a collection of biographies and trivia, a couple of classics that looked like hangovers from college courses and four comic books that were the neatest of all the books stacked compared to their stained and fraying neighbours on the shelves. A spider plant sat in the window sil, it’s runners hung down over the bookshelf and a single tiny purple flower reached out into the room. It looked as if it hadn’t been watered in weeks but techie remembered his own mother having similar plants that were scattered across high shelves and on the tops of cabinets that also would have been seldom watered.

Techie headed down the short corridor that Matt had said lead to the bathroom and bedrooms. A mess of scattered body washes and cheap shampoos littered the bathroom . They covered every surface and shelf in various states of use. 

Of the two doors left, one was shut and the other wedged open by a discarded t-shirt. The bed was unmade and Techie grimaces at the scattered tissues that lay on the floor around the bin.They were no doubt aimed from the bed of the small cramped desk that looked only to be used as a clothes horse than a place of study or work. 

He circled the bed to the narrow window. The view was no more than the adjacent building and it’s windows but the orange-yellow sunlight had caught just the right angle on one window to stream in through the window Techie looked out from and lit up the room and mellow reds and the wall opposite the bed. 

After a moment basking in the warmth of the sunlight Techie dropped to sit on the bed and smoothed his hands over the covers. The large dark duvet gave way and he bounced slightly on the give of the mattress. It smelt of Matt and Techie felt the urge to bury himself in it like a cocoon. He ran a hand over the pillow that lay diagonally lengthways down the bed. He couldn’t wait to be sharing this bed with Matt. To have him wrapped up by his side all night without the awkward lack of space or maneuvering around errant springs.

Matt was leant against the kitchen counter when Techie stepped inside the door. A glass of water in his hand and another sat on the counter behind him. An easy smile spread on his face.

“I could get used to you being around,” Matt said as he greeted Techei with a smile, “You’re really quiet but I could hear the floorboards as you moved around,”

“Your bed smells,” Techie said as he stepped towards Matt and reached for the glass of water that was set on the counter.

“I’ll change the sheets. Open a window,” Matt said, “Didn’t really think this through,”

“Smells of you. ‘S nice,” Techie said as he took a sip of water and set the glass back down on the counter. He turned into Matt and looped his arms around amiddle

“You know what else is nice?” Matt asked. Techie hummed as he leant in and ran his tongue over Matt’s collar bone. Matt’s breathing stuttered and Techie scraped his teeth along the bone with the faintest pressure.

“Shit,” Matt groaned.

“Tell me,”

“So. Fucking. Hot,” Matt shifted and pressed him against the counter. Matt’s hands ran down over his sides and he bent slightly to get a grip on Techie’s waist to lift him up onto the counter. Techie pulled at Matt’s shirt and soon it was up and over his head and thrown to one side. He stilled Matt’s hands as he tried to return the gesture.

“Just want to look at all this,” Techie said as he ran his fingers over Matt’s abs. They tenses and rippled under his lightest touch.

“What do you think I want?” Matt asked as his fingers teased at the exposed skin above Techie’s waistband. 

“I’m not much to look at,” Techie said, “I’m not this,” His hand stilled, flat palm pressed against Matt’s abdomen.

“You’re better,” Matt said as he pressed another three kisses to Techie’s collarbone and neck “Nothing I don’t like about you,” Matt said and another kiss reached Techie’s jaw, “The day you see how amazing you are you’ll leave me behind,” Matt muttered and when he glanced up.Techie felt like his very emotions were too much for him. His eyes welled with tears and one fell to his cheek and rolled down to his chin, 

“Techie,” Matt hummed softly and wiped at the tear that escaped the side of Techie’s eye. “I’m so fucking lucky,” Matt whispered and as if on cue Techie’s stomach let out a long deep growl, “Let me make you dinner then.”

“Are you staying like this?” Techie asked, finally finding his voice as Matt reluctantly pulled away.

“Bare skin and hot oil,” Matt said. Techie sighed and hopped down. He stooped to grab Matt’s grey shirt and passed it back.

“If you must,”

“You’re going to distract me,” Matt muttered as he pressed another kiss to Techie’s lips, “Going to make me burn the food. I hope you like well done steak,” Techie pulled back and looked up at Matt who smiled back, “I do listen to Ms Mallory sometimes,” He shrugged and glanced over Techie’s shoulder to a distant point.

“Thank you,”

“I’d do anything for you Techie. Just say the word,” Matt said. Techie stomach growled again loudly and Matt burst out laughing, “Enough said,”

 

Techie felt his heart yearn as he watched Matt moved around his kitchen. He barely looked at what he was doing as his practiced talent with food preparation seemed to make everything fall into place with a wave of his hand. 

“How do you like your steak cooked?”

“I don’t know,” Techie said and suddenly he couldn’t look up. As Matt had told Ms Mallory. Steak was expensive. He’d had a steak maybe once a decade ago and he’d never been given the choice for having it cooked one way or another. 

“Techie?”

“Yeah,”

“Come here,” Matt said. Techie pushed himself up from the chair at the table and without looking up from the floor he stepped up beside Matt.“ Can I…?” Matt asked. Techie hazarded a look up and was caught in Matt’s eyes the moment he met them. Matt leant in closer and Techie’s nerves seemed to evaporate the moment Matt pressed their lips together. Matt’s hands caught at his waist and Techie gasped as he was lifted from the floor and set atop one of the counters. 

“I like you watching me as I make something for you,”

“You don’t mind?”

“Why would I mind? I’m still trying to impress you,” Matt said. They leant closer to share another kiss when a bubble and hiss startled them both from the hob. Matt swore and grabbed for the pan’s handed. He yelped and cradled his hand to his chest as he reached for a tea towel and moved the pan off the heat with that. 

“Not a disaster, I promise,”

“I wouldn’t know the difference,” Techie said and a small smile pulled at his lips. “Shouldn’t you run that under cold water?”

“Uh, no. I’ll be fine. Let me finished cooking first,” Matt insisted. He pulled a packet of green beans from the fridge and set them down on the chopping board beside Techie and he reached for the knife he’d left on the other work surface and flicked the kettle on as he passed. In the time it took him to turn back Techie had pilfered on of the beans and took a bite. 

“Guess i’m not working quickly enough for you am I?” Matt said as he sliced the ends from the beans and then halved them and threw them into a colander. Techie laughed and glanced to the pan of gently frying steaks. A dark smoke seemed to be wafting up from the pan.

“Uh Mattie,” Techie said.

“Ye- shit,” Matt cried out and Techie turned to see him sucking his thumb. “I’m good,” He said and Techie saw a cut across the edge of his thumb drip with blood. 

“Should I go and sit back over there?” Techie asked

“No you’re fine there.” Matt said as he squeezed a paper towel around his thumb, “What is it?”

“Uh. The steaks look like they’re done,” Techie waved towards the pan

“They’re okay, They can sit there for another few,- oh crap,” Matt grabbed the tongs and lifted both steaks onto a side plate. “I hope you like them well done,”

“I thought i’d turned them off. Turns out i set them on the highest temp,” Matt looked up apologetically, “Do you want to set the table? The cutlery’s in the drawer on the end,” Matt said and nodded towards the drawer. Techie nodded and as he set their two place settings Matt heated up the beans and mashed the potatoes with what looked like a whole stick of butter.

 

As the steaming plate was set down in front of Techie, Matt looked at his wit’s end.

“I can do better next time I swear,” He insisted as he set down his own plate and sat down, his foot nudged Techie’s beneath the table, “I’m a good cook,”

“This is better than anything I’ve made in years,” Techie said as he cut into his steak. One side was a lot darker and crispier than the other but the whole plateful smelled beautiful, “My hands hurt after working all day. Ready meals are their own food group in my flat,”

“That could change y’know,” Matt said quietly and when Techie looked up to question him Matt’s eyes were glued to his plate despite him only nudging his food with his fork. “Not your hands hurting, I don’t know how to fix that, but I’d cook for you. Every day,”

“Dessert too?”

“Yeah,” Matt said and glanced up at Techie, “Yeah Techie, dessert too,”

“I’d like that,”

“Really?”

“It’d mean I’d have to be here more often though wouldn’t it?”

“I could cook at your place sometimes. Might have to get you a new cooker though,” Matt chewed his bottom lip,”

“I like the idea of spending more time here,”

“I’d like that too,” Matt said and then his eyes darted down to Techie’s nearly untouched plate, “Your food’ll be getting cold,” Matt said and gestured with his fork. 

“My tenancy agreement runs out in two months too,” Techie said as he took another bite of the steak. Matt’s cutlery hit his plate with a clatter.

“Are you?...Do you?” Matt started but his words escaped him until he simply stared open mouthed and hopeful back at Techie.

“Maybe we’ll talk about it then,”

“I’ll tidy up by then,” Matt said quickly. “And I’ll cook you something nicer than burnt steak,”


End file.
